Contributed by: greg0rbgreg0rb(others by this writer | submit your own)Published on June 15th 2012I was talking with my wife a few weeks ago when I first got wind of this new Hives album, and I stumbled upon the fact that I was just as excited about a new Hives record in 2012 as I was in 2002. And that's rare. Think about it. How many bands that you LOVED a decade ago are still in existence and .

I was talking with my wife a few weeks ago when I first got wind of this new Hives album, and I stumbled upon the fact that I was just as excited about a new Hives record in 2012 as I was in 2002. And that's rare. Think about it. How many bands that you LOVED a decade ago are still in existence and still making records that remind you of why you loved them in the first place? I bet each of you could think of one or two, tops, and for me, the Hives are one of those select few. These Swedish garage rockers came to prominence in the Rolling Stone-dubbed "saviors of rock and roll" era of the early aughts along with the Strokes and the White Stripes (and to a much lesser degree, the Vines) and while the Hives had a couple popular singles ("Hate to Say I Told You So" especially) and landed a major label deal, they never achieved the level of fame and record sales in North America that I feel they deserved.

And the reason for that, in my opinion, is that they rock too hard for the masses. These well-dressed men were the most traditionally (in the '60s sense) "garage rock" of the 2000 pack: They look like British-Invasion-era Stones and have a frontman (Howlin' Pelle Almqvist) who yelps and shakes it as well as Jagger; they strum catchy riffs with enough speed and grit to keep up with more conventionally-labeled "punk" bands; and they include more subversive pop elements like Devo-esque synths and drum machines to stretch their sound.

Let's get on to Lex Hives. "Wait a Minute" is an obvious hit, with an undeniable drumbeat and the backing Hives repeating a catchy harmony of "Wait a minute now, wait a minute, wait a minute now," as Pelle goes from croon to howl, building the tune patiently to the finish. "Midnight Shifter" battles for the coveted spot of "Greg0rb's Favorite Track," featuring a killer sax countermelody adding to the Elvis/Jerry Lee Lewis groove, all polished off by the addictive chorus of "But if I do do do all I can / Tomorrow comes a chance!" "1000 Answers" has a bit of that '50s piano-slammin' Little Richard thing goin', though the keys are buried in the mix. It also has sweet bassy synths creepin' in too; these guys can't pick a decade to inhabit, and I love it. Single "Go Right Ahead" is a fantastic snapshot of The Hives and what they do best, rockin' hard and fast, with a melodic and lyrical motive so simple it's genius because it's instantly singable yet never gets old. What takes it to the next level is the tenor/bari sax, droning underneath practically the whole damn song.

While a large dose of earworm rockers is a given on any Hives album, it's also interesting to see what little twists and experiments they will try. On 2004's Tyrannosaurus Hives they brought in heavier synth and new wave elements that merely peppered their earlier work, and successfully tried their hand at a soulful-yet-freaky ballad with "Diabolic Scheme." "I Want More" is the ballad of sorts here, but only if you'd call "Back in Black" a ballad. It may one-up "Diabolic" in the down-tempo tune department, with stripped verses where Almqvist switches to a cool speaking voice over monks doing Greg0rbian chant. This accentuates the effect of the buzzing small-amp-cranked-too-high chords that hit, followed by sweet tinny guitar leads, handclaps and gang vocals. Whew.

Their last outing, 2007's The Black and White Album, was their weirdest by far, partially because they actually let producers outside of themselves and their inner circle take part in the proceedings. Songs like "Giddy Up," "Puppet on a String," "T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S." and interlude "A Stroll Through Hive Manor Corridors" covered new ground, but may have turned off a few old fans. Lex Hives ("Law of the Hives") pulls the reigns in just enough, and while it tries out new tricks like horns (duh, right?), stylistically it's their most straight-up rockin' since Veni Vedi Vicious. "Without the Money" is an interesting mid-album diversion, starting out like "I Put a Spell on You" and then dissolving to churning organ and vocals. Almqvist uses the song to show that he's more than just a shouter, and when the drums come pounding, he climbs and climbs to the song's apex.

The wait between Hives albums is grueling, but when you play 400 shows between releases, it's understandable; you need to travel the world to conquer it. This album is the Hives achieving what they set out to do as school kids in an industrial Swedish town in 1993: become the world's greatest rock band. With a perfect mix of fast catchy rockers, powerful yet not-too-slick production and a dash of experimentation, Lex Hives is not only the best Hives album, but the best garage rock record of the past 10 years.

I love the Hives, the first two albums have a special place in my heart. That said, the lyrics are just as bad as ever and their age has really shown. I would have hoped for improvement. I never had a problem with their sound, with their musicianship, never felt it needed to be stretched with synth or horns. They've always had catchy beats. What I _have_ always had a problem with their shallow lyrics. Any lyrical gems are few and far between, and more often you'll find completely unintelligible lines. The music contains all the punk and garage-rock "threat" that I love, but the lyrics are just noises. I could listen to them sing it Swedish and probably enjoy it just as much.

I signed up to say I like you and your review because I vigorously nodded whilst reading it. Not only has this band been around for a really long time (almost two decades), they've also managed to keep the exact same five band members together the entire way through. That is an impressive feat, and if anyone's seen them live you can tell they have a passion for what they do. "Midnight Shifter" was also the one that caught me off guard and I ended up playing it a few times because my ears couldn't get enough. If they've borrowed any ideas from The Saints' "Eternally Yours" at all, I'm glad it's the horns. The lengthiest track "Patrolling Days" is a badass self-dedicated theme song to HPA (Howlin' Pelle Almqvist) and contain well written lyrical ramblings that I just love. As you mentioned, those four songs from 2007's "The Black and White Album" are the ones I always skip over and will probably never have an incentive to listen to because they're honestly gimmicky and don't really qualify as proper Hives songs. "Lex Hives" feels more much solid the whole way through, plus I think the tracks are well ordered so the listener gets to catch a breath in the middle. The two bonus tracks (annoyingly digital download only, however available in Scandinavia as a Digipak) are also worth many listens. Final side note, YouTube "Howlin' Pelle" and â??I Put a Spell on Youâ? - he's done a version with a big band ;).

You like the current Rolling Stones output, John?!! No no no no... and when was the last time they put out a new album? If it's over a decade ago, it doesn't count. Also, it has to be a band you were AWARE OF ten years ago. You're a fairly young pup, ain't cha? When did you get into Public Enemy? Age 14? Doubt it!

God I love VVV and Tyranosaurus Hives. But their Last two albums have drifted a bit too much for me. They aren't bad, but even the faster songs don't compare to the raw energy they once had. I miss the constantly spastic, frantic Hives. I don't think they're the kind of band that benefits from expanding their sound and throwing in horns and adding dancey beats. To each their own though.

I'm not using poor production value interchangeably with garage rock; however, this album just has a crisp ethos to it. For me garage rock is rough around the edges, but not necessarily in production value, just in general aesthetic